NDWH scores winning run on error in B7.Final, NDWH 5 Sheehan 4 #ctbase pic.twitter.com/5vw4vGrY17
— Mike Madera (@MikeMadera2) May 25, 2016
WEST HAVEN – Heading to the seventh inning, Notre Dame-West Haven pitcher Dylan Reynolds had to figure he would be considered one of the stars of the game. He just probably thought it was going to be due to his pitching.
Tossing a gem through six, Reynolds watched as Sheehan rallied to even the game in the top of the seventh, before the third-seeded Green Knights used a single by Reynolds and an error on the play to defeat sixth-seeded Sheehan 5-4 in the quarterfinals of the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament at Quigley Stadium Wednesday afternoon.
The Green Knights advance to Thursday’s semifinals against second-seeded Hamden at Piurek Field in West Haven at 4 p.m. The winner will play the winner of Thursday’s nightcap between top-seeded Amity and fifth-seeded Fairfield Prep in Saturday’s title game.
“We got some guys on base in the game and we did a great job getting on there,” Reynolds said of the seventh inning. “We were able to come up with some big hits today. This is a big start for us. This is seven straight (wins). We want to keep looking forward. It is only going to get tougher from here.”
SCC Baseball Quarterfinal roundup
After Sheehan (13-8) rallied to tie the game in the top of the seventh, the Green Knights responded in the bottom half as Michael Torniero led off with an infield single to short and Reynolds singled to right with one out. Torniero raced for third and scampered home when the throw from the outfield got away for Sheehan’s fifth error of the day.
“The guys have done this all year,” Notre Dame coach Don Martone said after his team improved to 13-8 with its seventh straight win. “They battle back. We keep putting ourselves in situations to redeem ourselves. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes.”
After being held to just four hits by Reynolds through six innings, the Titans answered the bell in the seventh, but also squandered a golden opportunity to take the lead at the same time.
James Sperrazza led off the seventh for Sheehan with an infield single to short, Jake Gawlak followed with a single to left, and Griffin Andrews reached on an error to load the bases with no one out. Junior Steven Mirra followed with a single to left to score Sperrazza and knock Reynolds from the game.
Martone turned to Ardito, who got Sal Gozzo on a grounder to second, forcing in pinch-runner Sam Demaio with the tying run. With runners on second and third and one out, the Green Knights intentionally walked Paul Gozzo to load the bases.
Ardito did the rest. He got Nolan Cloutier on a fielder’s choice grounder from first to home, then ended the rally by getting Kyle Brennan on a grounder to second.
“When you have a great infield and defense behind you, it is easy to focus on one pitch at a time,” Ardito said after picking up the win in relief. “I just hit my spots and my team helped behind me. When they scored the two runs, it hurt us, but we were not going away. We just did what we had to do.”
Sheehan, which has never won an SCC tournament game, got on the board quickly in the contest, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning. With one out, Sal Gozzo singled and scored on a double by Paul Gozzo. Brennan increased the lead to 2-0 when he singled to score Paul Gozzo.
Andrews kept the Titans on top by two runs until sloppy play hurt the Titans in the third, allowing the Green Knights to score three times.
With one out, Torniero was hit by a pitch and scored on Ardito’s double to left. Ardito went to third on the throw and scored on a grounder to short by Reynolds.
With two outs, Michael Piechota was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on Tyler Pyne’s single to right. When the throw got away at third, Piechota scored for a 3-2 lead.
“We are moving on to the states,” was all a disappointed Sheehan coach Matt Altieri said after the loss.
The Green Knights got a big run in the sixth as a single by Piechota and two Sheehan errors loaded the bases with one out. Matt Martinello followed with a sacrifice fly to left to score Pyne with what looked to be an insurance run in the game.
“I am happy we were able to overcome our mistakes today,” Martone said. “Zach (Ardito) did a great job there in the last inning. He was able to shut them down. It could have been an explosive inning for them.”
Ardito finished with two hits, one run batted in, and a run scored. Brennan added two hits and drove in a run for the Titans in the loss.
NOTRE DAME-WEST HAVEN 5, SHEEHAN 4
(at West Haven)
Sheehan 200 000 2 — 4 8 4
Notre Dame 003 001 1 — 5 8 1
Andrews, Doty, Carasale; Reynolds, Ardito – Martinello.
WP: Zach Ardito. LP: Cerasale.
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